Taking a shine to new history museum could brighten local economy - New Mexico Business Weekly:

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The $44 million opens Memorial Day weekende at a time of unprecedented economicf pressureson nonprofits, the arts and tourism. But officials are optimisticc that it will boost the econom y and lure visitors from New Mexico and beyondxthe state’s borders. The newest additiobn to the state’s museum portfoliko is adjacent toits oldest, the 400-year-olxd Palace of the Governors bordering the histori c Santa Fe Plaza, whicbh has served as the state’s historu museum since 1909. Its small size has never been largse enough to adequately holdthe 20,000 750,000 historic photographs and thousands of manuscriptxs that tell New Mexico’s complexd story.
The new structure was carefullh designed to refer to that reveredbuildingb constantly, said Frances Levine, director of the History Museum. That reverence for the past will not be reflectefd by a conventional historicalmuseumk experience, however. Interactivity and multiple sensort experienceswill abound. “We’red trying to get away from the idea of goinfg to a museum once a whether you need it or Levine said. Handprints, common in ancient petroglyphs, from Native artists who sell theird work under the portalk of the Palace will offee audio stories when visitorstouch them.
They can hold the re-createdc contents of wagons that plied the Santa Fe Traik and theCamino Real, get up closr to Kit Carson’s beaded deerskih pouch and Pancho Villa’s death mask. Navajol code talkers, artists, outlaws and the Manhattan Project are featuredin video, audio and film. The Sants Fe Community College will offe a course on New Mexicohistoruy on-site next fall, with the museum as its This is a museum about New Mexicans, but also for Levine said.
“The museum is not dependent on tourists,” she The staff is counting on New Mexico but alsotourists and, indeed, hotels are selling packages around the new museum and findintg strong interest, said Tom Aageson, executive director of the Museu of New Mexico Foundation, a private, nonprofir organization dedicated to the four museumz and six historical state monumentsd that comprise the Museum of New Individual annual memberships start at $65, whic h covers all the Museum of New Mexico museums and state Few cities are openinbg a new museum theswe days of this scope and Aageson said, so this will make New Mexico stand out.
“So while these are challenginbg times, on the other side it’a a huge boost for the he said. And despite the economy, attendance at the Santa Fe museumsa under the Museum of New Mexico umbrellwa wasup 9.5 percent from July 2008 to Marcbh 2009, compared to the same period from 2007 to 2008, accordingb to the state’s Department of Cultural Affairs. Attendanc slipped for the and the Museum of Indian Arts and Support for the new museumm hasbeen strong, Aageson added.
It was constructed with $15 million from the federal governmengtand $21 million from the And the Foundation raised $7 millionh for the exhibits as well as several million dollars more for an The building also has a 210-seat auditorium and several large spaces that can be leased to briny in additional revenue to support operations. of Santa Fe was the architecty onthe project. Other firms involved were NCA Architectas and Planners from Albuquerque and of The construction manager wasThomas S. Byrne Ltd. of Texas. 113 Lincoljn Ave. Santa Fe, NM 87501 www.nmhistorymuseum.
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